Lee Strasberg

Date of Birth: November 17, 1901

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: February 17, 1982

Biography

Lee Strasberg, born Israel Strassberg, was a renowned American director, actor, and acting teacher, best known for his work in the development and popularization of method acting. Born on November 17, 1901, in Budzanów, Poland (then part of Austria-Hungary), Strasberg emigrated to the United States in 1923. He quickly became involved in New York’s vibrant theater scene, co-founding the Group Theatre in 1931 alongside Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford. This collective aimed to bring Stanislavski’s system of acting to the American stage. Strasberg later became the artistic director of the Actors Studio in 1951, where he trained some of the most iconic actors of the 20th century, including Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe. His teachings emphasized emotional authenticity and psychological realism, revolutionizing American theater and film acting. Strasberg made occasional forays into acting himself, most famously playing Hyman Roth in “The Godfather Part II” (1974), a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination. He continued to teach and influence new generations of actors until his death on February 17, 1982, in New York City.

5 Interesting Facts about Lee Strasberg

1. Lee Strasberg was a co-founder of the Group Theatre, which was instrumental in introducing method acting to the United States.

2. He was the artistic director of the Actors Studio from 1951 until his death in 1982.

3. Strasberg trained many of the greatest actors of the 20th century, including Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Marilyn Monroe.

4. He made a rare acting appearance in “The Godfather Part II” (1974), earning an Academy Award nomination for his role as Hyman Roth.

5. Strasberg was awarded the National Medal of Arts posthumously in 1984.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Lee Strasberg

1. “The human being who acts is the human being who lives.”

2. “Acting is the most personal of our crafts. The make-up of a human being – his physical, mental and emotional habits – influence his acting.”

3. “Art is longer than life.”

4. “The actor creates with his own flesh and blood all those things which all the arts try in some way to describe.”

5. “The thing about performance, even if it’s only an illusion, is that it is a celebration of the fact that we do contain within ourselves infinite possibilities.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his career, Lee Strasberg’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million, a considerable amount for his time.

Children

Lee Strasberg had three children. With his first wife, Nora Krecaum, he had one son, John Strasberg, who also became an actor and acting teacher. With his second wife, Paula Miller, he had two children: Susan Strasberg, who became a successful actress, and David Strasberg, who followed in his father’s footsteps in the field of acting and teaching.